INC PARC (Parks And Recreation) committee met Jan. 19, 2016 at Brookdale UPark.  Present were co-chairs Maggie Price and Cindy Johnstone, Katie and Steve Fisher, Kathleen and Jay Rust, Kathleen Wells, Brad Cameron, Ronnie Crawford, Marlene Johnson, George Mayl, Bridget Walsh, Louis Plachowski, Nancy Francis, Diana Helper, Jim Considine, Mary Sharp, Jacqueline Lansing, John Van Sciver.

Katie reported on the recent PRAB (Parks/Rec Advisory Board) meeting, of which Jay is now a member.  Topics included Paco Sanchez Park, two Basin projects, flood planes, Cole neighborhood impact, the gulch projects.

City Planner Mark Bernstein of “The Outdoor Downtown,” sponsored by DPR and Downtown Denver Partnership, presented a slide talk. The area covers eight contiguous “downtown” districts roughly Speer north to Platte River, east on 24^th St., and south on Grant St.  It wants to make the most of present park space and hopes to add more.  Focus is on “Cultural Identity.”  They say people need reasons to go to the parks, which could include various activities as well as providing an oasis of calm and natural beauty.  Please visit http://www.theoutdoordowntown.com/ for a full description of this endeavor.  A number of public meetings and surveys have occurred with #1 priority: Safety, #2: Cleanliness.  A Jan. 26 public meeting will discuss input, and they plan to go before City Council this Spring.

DPR next spoke about five small mis-zoned as open space, undeveloped city properties near parks, which should have been zoned residential.  Discussions are ongoing regarding the mis-zoned open space acreage during the rezoning of all Denver. A question of who would profit from their sale.   According to Scott Gilmore all money goes into the General Fund and Parks and Rec benefits as does other departments  DPR was made aware of this concern by INC PARC members.

Also, DPR has the use of 190 acres of open space near DIA.  Round 6 of the Park Designation listings is done, round 7 to begin.  PARC discussed if more time and public study of this issue is needed, rather than make a decision in early February regarding the drainage proposal option for City Park to create detention areas.  Scott pointed out many parks may have come to be because they were in natural drainage areas, and Scott said new parks are designed with drainage in mind.  Established parks also can be reformed to include drainage.  DPR has contributed a number of Silent Auction items for the INC Dinner.

Nancy gave am update on Red Rocks Park historic landmark status. Red Rocks Report here. The entire area has National Registry designation and it seems as if that should be the standard for State and City Landmark designation.  Meetings will continue.

In connection with the drainage issue in particular, Louis spoke of the “Highway Boondoggle” article (redo of I-70) to be in the Denver Post Jan. 20.

Diana reported the death of excellent former City Planner Tom Best, a friend of open space.

Not in the meeting but a good example of Community Park work:  Parents were leaving many toys too large for the toys-to-share box at Observatory Park.  The UP Moms Club wished to remove them, and we found the nearby UP United Methodist Church has a resettlement program for refugees who arrive with nothing, and whose children have no toys.  In 3 days we had Moms and others starting to deliver toys to the church, and the park playground looking much neater.  This will be an ongoing project.  The refugee children are truly grateful.

Next PARC meeting, 6:00 p.m. Tues., February 16..  – Diana Helper, PARC member